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by Renee Kjartan and Environment News Service

OPPOSE THIRD RUNWAY AT SEA-TAC!

A green light was given recently to build a third runway at Seatac, despite evidence presented by the Airport Communities Coalition (ACC) that another runway is not needed, would destroy wetlands and harm surrounding neighborhoods. ACC points out that the Department of Ecology says Sea-Tac is a major factor in Puget Sound's failure to meet state and federal air-quality standards. The airport already generates eight percent of all the total carbon monoxide emissions in all of King County, and five percent of all nitrogen oxide emissions. More airplanes will emit more "airborne pollutants [and] spill toxic jet fuel [which] mix with storm water runoff that poisons streams leading to Puget Sound."

KYOTO PROTOCOL TO TAKE EFFECT

The US Bush won't sign the Kyoto treaty to reduce global warming, but other countries are, and the Kyoto Protocol is expected to enter into force soon, according to Physicians for Social Responsibility. The Protocol, which puts legal limits on the amount of carbon dioxide each country can produce, will become a legally binding international law once industrial nations representing 55 percent of global emissions of carbon dioxide ratify the agreement. The fifteen European Union nations, Japan, Peru, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Brazil, Cameroon, Hungary, Chile, and Costa Rica have signed the treaty. With Canada and Russia expected to also sign, the 55 percent "threshold" has "suddenly come into view," PSR notes. For more information go to http://www.psr.org/enviro.htm.

NATION'S TOP ten GAS GUZZLING CARS

According to the Environmental Protection Agency the following vehicles are the least fuel efficient. Numbers show mileage for city/highway/and combined: Lamborghini Murcielago--9/13/10; Chevrolet Silverado 2500 2WD--10/12/11; GMC Sierra 1500--10/12/11; Chevrolet Silverado 1500--10/12/11; Ferrari 456M--10/15/11; Ferrari 575M--10/16/12; Chevrolet Avalanche--10/13/12; Chevrolet Suburban--10/13/12; GMC Yukon--10/13/12; Chevrolet Tahoe--10/13/12

SUPPORT PLANNED PARENTHOOD

Planned Parenthood of Western Washington is appealing for funds due to Washington's financial crisis and right-wing attacks on sources of funding. In 2002 PP served over 65,000 patients with options including birth control, emergency contraception, pregnancy testing, testing and treatment for STDs, Pap tests and well-woman exams, HIV/AIDS testing and pregnancy options counseling. PP is at 2001 E. Madison St.

MONTANA KILLS FIRST BUFFALO THIS WINTER

A lone bull buffalo foraging on Gallatin National Forest land on the Horse Butte Peninsula was shot and killed in November by the Montana Department of Livestock (MDOL). The buffalo was killed under the Interagency Bison Management Plan, which aims to reduce the risk of brucellosis transmission from bison to cattle although there has never been a documented case of such transmission in the wild. "It is absurd that the DOL wastes over $1 million per year to haze, capture and kill buffalo which pose no threat to cattle," said a Buffalo Field Campaign (BFC) coordinator. The Bison Management Plan has a $45 million budget for 15 years. "Education and social programs in this state are grossly under-funded, yet there seem to be limitless funds for the slaughter of bison on our public lands," said a BFC volunteer. "We prioritize the livestock industry over the future of our children and the health of this ecosystem." The BFC works to stop the slaughter of Yellowstone's wild buffalo. Volunteers stand with the buffalo and document every move made against them. For more information including video footage write [email protected].

BUSH POLITICIZING SCIENCE

The group EnviroHealthAction urges people to sign on to a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson asking him to retain the integrity of federal science advisory panels. Thompson has begun to restructure these committees, eliminating some that were coming to conclusions at odds with the Bush Administration's views and in many other cases replacing members with handpicked candidates who have close associations with industry. EnviroHealthAction calls Thompson's actions "alarming." Until now, top CDC staff would nominate appropriate scientists for panels and the Health and Human Services secretary would approve them. Now, pro-industry members of key committees have the potential to severely undercut and set aside decades of research that public health officials and scientists need to evaluate the health of communities. CDC's Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention is one example of this trend. Thompson has rejected renowned experts on the health effects of childhood lead poisoning and in their place has appointed scientists with deep ties to the lead industry. EnviroHealthAction says Thompson's actions "could have an adverse impact on public health for years to come." For more information write to [email protected].

NEED INTERNATIONAL ACTION ON MERCURY

Some 150 experts from around the world have called for international action to address the threat caused by exposure to mercury. Physicians for Social Responsibility says the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) met recently to discuss the problem and possible international actions to reduce the risks. UNEP estimates that 5,000-10,000 tons of mercury may enter the global environment each year. As much as 75 percent may originate from human activities, with coal-fired power plants and municipal and medical waste incinerators among the major sources.